Law firms and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace – Kingsley Napley Employment Law Blog

‘Sexual harassment in the workplace has attracted growing concern globally over the past five years. The House of Commons Women and Equalities Select Committee (WESC) inquiry in July 2018 triggered a parliamentary debate around the need for stricter duties for employers to prevent unwanted sexual behaviour at work. In parallel, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has prioritised tackling sexual misconduct in law firms and recent changes to its Codes of Conduct emphasise the expectation on firms to foster a culture of zero tolerance to counter-inclusive behaviours, including sexual misconduct.’

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Kingsley Napley Employment Law Blog, 23rd May 2023

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

IT worker sues boss over mistaken ‘jumbo genital’ acronym – The Independent

Posted May 19th, 2023 in employment, employment tribunals, harassment, news, sex discrimination by tracey

‘An IT worker sued her “rich and powerful” boss for sexual harassment after mistaking “xx” in his email as code for wanting kisses and his initials for “A Jumbo Genital”.’

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The Independent, 18th May 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Police assessment places violence against women and girls on same footing as terrorism – The Guardian

Posted May 19th, 2023 in domestic violence, harassment, news, police, rape, sexual offences, violence, women by tracey

‘Police chiefs have issued the first official assessment of violence against women and girls in the UK, placing such offences on the same footing as terrorism and serious organised crime. The 230-page intelligence document outlining the crimes that pose the greatest threats to women and girls has been shared with all forces by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).’

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The Guardian, 18th May 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Man banned from talking about sex to women in public – The Independent

‘A 34-year-old man has been banned from making sexual comments in public to any woman in England and Wales.’

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The Independent, 16th May 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Warnings over NHS data privacy after ‘stalker’ doctor shares woman’s records – The Guardian

‘The confidentiality of NHS medical records has been thrown into doubt after a “stalker” hospital doctor accessed and shared highly sensitive information about a woman who had started dating her ex-boyfriend, despite not being involved in her care.’

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The Guardian, 14th May 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Hospital boss claims unfair dismissal after chairman ‘bullied’ her – BBC News

‘A former NHS chief executive is suing her employer, saying she was “bullied, harassed, intimidated and undermined” by the hospital trust’s chairman.’

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BBC News, 12th May 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Armed forces complaint ‘used as weapon against me’ – BBC News

‘Four years on from submitting a complaint alleging she had been raped while in the armed forces, “Jane” is still awaiting a decision and says it was used as a “weapon” against her.
She told the BBC that colleagues knew things about the confidential process “they should never have known”. Her concerns are not unique, according to a report by the ombudsman for armed forces complaints.’

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BBC News, 4th May 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Paralegal wins claims for disability discrimination and harassment – Legal Futures

‘A paralegal at a London law firm was unfairly dismissed over unpaid wages, subjected to disability discrimination and harassed on the basis of her sex, an employment tribunal has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 26th April 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Prosecutors focus on ‘love-bombing’ and other manipulative behaviours when charging controlling offences – Crown Prosecution Service

‘Updated guidance on controlling behaviour published by the Crown Prosecution Service today emphasises the need for prosecutors to closely scrutinise the actions of a suspect, who can often take steps to disrupt or mislead criminal proceedings.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 24th April 2023

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Police force wrong to dismiss ex-MP’s ‘vexatious’ FOI requests – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 24th, 2023 in appeals, freedom of information, harassment, news, police by tracey

‘A police force was wrong to dismiss as vexatious freedom of information requests from a disgraced former MP, an appeal has ruled. Overturning a decision by the information commissioner, the Information Rights Tribunal reminded South Yorkshire Police that the way to avoid being chased for missing a deadline is not to miss it in the first place.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 21st April 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘My boss said my miscarriage was the best thing that could happen to me – then I was sacked’ – The Independent

Posted April 24th, 2023 in bullying, employment, equality, harassment, news, pregnancy, unfair dismissal, victims by tracey

‘New research shows that one in four women going through fertility treatment say they were subjected to unfair treatment in the workplace.’

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The Independent, 24th April 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

What counts as sexual harassment at work? – BBC News

Posted April 19th, 2023 in employment, equality, harassment, news, sexual offences by sally

‘The business lobby group the CBI is in turmoil as allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against some of its employees.’

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BBC News, 19th April 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Misogyny rife in RAF boys’ club, sex assault victim says – BBC News

‘The RAF is a “boys’ club” where sexual harassment, misogyny and homophobia are rife, says a female ex-corporal who was sexually assaulted while serving.’

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BBC News, 14th April 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Manchester Arena survivors to take ‘disaster troll’ to court – BBC News

Posted April 3rd, 2023 in defamation, harassment, injunctions, news, terrorism, victims by sally

‘Manchester Arena bomb survivors have filed landmark legal action against a conspiracy theorist who claims the attack was faked.’

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BBC News, 3rd April 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

CPS to pay £136,000 for failing to ease barrister’s workload – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Crown Prosecution Service has been ordered to pay a barrister almost £136,000 after failing to make adjustments to his working life following a heart attack.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 22nd March 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Man jailed for sending racist and misogynistic messages to MP – The Independent

‘A man has been jailed for harassing and sending racist and misogynistic messages to his MP.’

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The Independent, 22nd March 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Ikea UK makes agreement with EHRC to improve policies on sexual harassment – The Guardian

‘Ikea UK has made an agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to improve its sexual harassment policies and practices after a complaint by a former employee.’

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The Guardian, 23rd March 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Leeds preacher’s sentence for trans woman’s harassment quashed – BBC News

‘A Christian preacher who was found guilty of harassing a transgender woman by calling her a “man” and “gentleman” has had his conviction quashed.’

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BBC News, 9th March 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Charities urge Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to guarantee better protection for women in Family Courts – Family Law

Posted February 21st, 2023 in cross-examination, domestic violence, family courts, harassment, news, victims by tracey

‘The Family Courts are failing survivors of domestic abuse, according to 28 leading women’s charities, solicitors and survivors. A letter signed by the group has been delivered to Secretary of State for Justice Dominic Raab today, calling for urgent action to stop the practice of perpetrators of domestic abuse from cross examining their victims in court.’

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Family Law, 20th February 2023

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Bar Council launches a plan of action to improve ‘Life at the employed Bar’ – The Bar Council

Posted February 13th, 2023 in barristers, bullying, diversity, employment, harassment, news, statistics by tracey

‘Greater visibility, better career progression, and stamping out bullying and harassment are key recommendations in a new report on ‘Life at the employed Bar’ published by the Bar Council today. The employed Bar is more diverse, reports higher levels of wellbeing, and experiences greater flexibility and work/life balance than the self-employed Bar. However, the employed Bar also experiences bullying and harassment at similar levels to the whole Bar, has a far lower rate of taking Silk, and expresses some concern about perceptions of careers at the employed Bar.’

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The Bar Council, 8th February 2023

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk